There seems to be a flood of pre-Thanksgiving Xavier men's basketball information coming out in the past few days, with the Musketeers winning the Puerto Rico Tipoff, cracking the top 25, losing their freshman point guard, listening closely to the news at Indiana University, announcing the official signing of Kevin Parrom and getting news of a new A-10 Tournament format.
I will tackle the last two before touching on some of the others.
Xavier announced the signing of Kevin Parrom on Tuesday after Parrom verbally commit ed to Xavier in September. The 6'6" senior forward will look to step in and take some minutes at the small forward spot as a freshman, much like Terrell Holloway has done with the point guard spot this season.
Here are a few of the things that being said about the Parrom, the No. 84 prospect in the class of 2009 according to Rivals.com:
“Kevin Parrom is a versatile wing player that can play a number of different positions in our program. With the impending departures of seniors C.J. Anderson and B.J. Raymond, finding this type of player was our top priority in the 2009 class. We are very excited about Kevin’s ability to contribute to our program on the basketball court. We are equally excited about his ability as a student and who he is as a person. He is a great fit into our University and our basketball program.” ~Sean Miller
“I love his competitiveness and how hard he works. His versatility sets him apart as a player. He handles the ball and shoots like a guard but he has the size to go inside and get a rebound or post up another player. When he grabs a rebound he also has the ability to start the break. He can do a lot of things well. Kevin is a high character kid. He’s mature. He takes criticism, learns from it and works hard to get better.” ~Kelvin Jefferson, Parrom's coach at South Kent Prep School in South Kent, Connecticut
“Xavier only signed one player in the fall but they struck gold with Kevin. He will make an immediate impact and that’s quite a statement about Kevin because he is entering a high-level, top-notch college basketball program. I just saw Kevin play again this past weekend. Kevin puts tremendous pressure on the defense with his driving ability. He has great body control when he gets to the rim and can adjust while in the air. He has improved his jump shot. Kevin plays the game with tremendous passion. He doesn’t take plays off. He has the potential to be an outstanding defender in the tough, gritty defense that Sean [Miller] likes to play. He is a high level player that brings a lot to the table.” ~Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Director of Recruiting for High School and College Basketball
When Parrom does join the Musketeers in 2009-10, he will have a chance to participate int he restructured Atlantic 10 Tournament in 2010. The Conference announced on Tuesday that the 2010 tournament will keep the 12 team format in which the top four teams get a bye in the first round of the tournament, but will have the first round game (No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed, No. 5 seed vs. No. 12 seed, No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 seed and No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed) play at the home venue of the higher seeded team. The rationale behind the move was to increase attendance to the opening round games by holding the meaningful games on the campus of the individual teams, and avoiding the traditionally sparse turnouts on the opening day of the tournament. These games will be played on Tuesday, March 9 2010, with the remaining three rounds being held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, allowing the tournament to finish on "Selection Sunday."
The restructuring of the tournament comes with a new television deal as well, as CBS Sports will air the championship game of the tournament on Sunday, March 14 2010 at 1 p.m.
All of this is a testament to the outstanding job that first year commissioner Bernadete McGlade has done in her short tenure on the job. McGlade has already increased television exposure for the league in the form of a deal with ESPN, and continues to think progressively with new topics such as the tournament.
As for Jordan Crawford, the NCAA appears to be have ruled that Indiana University will be not be sanctioned from postseason play at all, according to Andy Katz at ESPN.com. While the NCAA came down hard on IU coach Kelvin Sampson with a five year ban, they did not reprimand Indiana quite as hard. The NCAA can now make the argument that Crawford would have had every advantage that he will be able to enjoy at Xavier if he had stayed at Indiana, which when coupled with the recent precedence of toughening eligibility rulings makes for a very bleak outlook for Crawford's eligibility.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Getting knocked off of the pedestol
The Xavier Musketeers came back across the Atlantic Ocean on Monday with a championship trophy from their 63-58 victory over the Memphis Tigers in the championship game of the Puerto Rico Season Tipoff.
While the win was a significant step forward for the program, and answered many questions about the team's toughness, ability to handle the ball and point guard play, the Musketeers will now have to face the reality of a college basketball season, and a new slew of questions.
One of the more harsh realities of a five month basketball season is injuries, something Xavier has already had to deal with this season with Derrick Brown's left ankle sprain. The Musketeers will have to deal with injuries once again with the news on Monday that freshman point guard Terrell Holloway could miss an extended period of time with a stress fracture in his right foot, aggravated in Sunday's win over Memphis.
Holloway, who had averaged 9.0 points, 2.0 assists, 2.0 rebounds and was 20-20 from the free throw line in three games in Puerto Rico, could be out for an extended period of time if the stress fracture proves to be problematic.
In his absence, Xavier will have a hole at the point guard position that the young freshman had recently proven to be a reliable option at. One possible candidate for the position is Jordan Crawford.
Crawford, the sophomore transfer from Indiana, will likely hear a decision on his eligibility from the NCAA in the next week.
The prospects for Crawford's case appear to be slim, however, as NCAA president Myles Brand has made good on his promise this season to toughen up on immediate eligibility cases. In the past week the NCAA has denied the eligibility of Crawford's former Indiana teammate Eli Holman, now at Detroit, and USC center Alex Stephenson, a transfer from North Carolina who was seeking immediate eligibility as a result of health issues in his Los Angeles based family that necessitated the transfer to Southern California.
With the bleak outlook of the Crawford case coupled with the uncertainty surrounding Holloway, Sean Miller may be in a more ambiguous position with regard to his point guard position than when he began the season.
In the short term, Miller will have to rely on sophomore Dante Jackson to log major minutes at the point guard spot, something Jackson has struggled at the season, turning the ball over 10 times this season, but also picking up 10 assists. While Xavier may not be in its best flow with Jackson running the show, he is long and athletic enough to supply Miller with perhaps his best defensive lineup, something that the Musketeers will have to rely on even more if they do not have the services of Holloway and Crawford.
The headaches for Miller may start to come in when he thinks about what happens when he has to sit Jackson on the bench for long periods of time -- a realistic possibility considering Jackson collected 12 fouls in three games in Puerto Rico. The two options for Miller off the bench -- freshmen Brad Redford and Brian Walsh -- have not been wildly ineffective in the first five games of the season.
Redford is still obviously adjusting to the speed of the college game, as evidenced by his performance against Memphis, where he got his only three point field goal attempt blocked, turned the ball over once and broke down multiple times on defense in only five minutes of action. Redford is slowly improving, though, and is always a threat with his deadly jump shot.
Walsh is really not a point guard, but my have to handle the ball if Xavier really gets into a pinch in the coming weeks. He has not seen much time yet this season, as he battled a lower back injury in the preseason and appears to still be rounding back into shape. He does give Xavier good defensive ability, and can knock down a jump shot if given a spot-up opportunity.
With all of the uncertainty surrounding the Musketeers it will surely be right back to the grindstone for Sean Miller and the Xavier staff. With games against MAC favorite Miami and SEC contender Auburn looming in the next 10 days the chance to test the suddenly new-look Musketeers will present itself quickly.
While the win was a significant step forward for the program, and answered many questions about the team's toughness, ability to handle the ball and point guard play, the Musketeers will now have to face the reality of a college basketball season, and a new slew of questions.
One of the more harsh realities of a five month basketball season is injuries, something Xavier has already had to deal with this season with Derrick Brown's left ankle sprain. The Musketeers will have to deal with injuries once again with the news on Monday that freshman point guard Terrell Holloway could miss an extended period of time with a stress fracture in his right foot, aggravated in Sunday's win over Memphis.
Holloway, who had averaged 9.0 points, 2.0 assists, 2.0 rebounds and was 20-20 from the free throw line in three games in Puerto Rico, could be out for an extended period of time if the stress fracture proves to be problematic.
In his absence, Xavier will have a hole at the point guard position that the young freshman had recently proven to be a reliable option at. One possible candidate for the position is Jordan Crawford.
Crawford, the sophomore transfer from Indiana, will likely hear a decision on his eligibility from the NCAA in the next week.
The prospects for Crawford's case appear to be slim, however, as NCAA president Myles Brand has made good on his promise this season to toughen up on immediate eligibility cases. In the past week the NCAA has denied the eligibility of Crawford's former Indiana teammate Eli Holman, now at Detroit, and USC center Alex Stephenson, a transfer from North Carolina who was seeking immediate eligibility as a result of health issues in his Los Angeles based family that necessitated the transfer to Southern California.
With the bleak outlook of the Crawford case coupled with the uncertainty surrounding Holloway, Sean Miller may be in a more ambiguous position with regard to his point guard position than when he began the season.
In the short term, Miller will have to rely on sophomore Dante Jackson to log major minutes at the point guard spot, something Jackson has struggled at the season, turning the ball over 10 times this season, but also picking up 10 assists. While Xavier may not be in its best flow with Jackson running the show, he is long and athletic enough to supply Miller with perhaps his best defensive lineup, something that the Musketeers will have to rely on even more if they do not have the services of Holloway and Crawford.
The headaches for Miller may start to come in when he thinks about what happens when he has to sit Jackson on the bench for long periods of time -- a realistic possibility considering Jackson collected 12 fouls in three games in Puerto Rico. The two options for Miller off the bench -- freshmen Brad Redford and Brian Walsh -- have not been wildly ineffective in the first five games of the season.
Redford is still obviously adjusting to the speed of the college game, as evidenced by his performance against Memphis, where he got his only three point field goal attempt blocked, turned the ball over once and broke down multiple times on defense in only five minutes of action. Redford is slowly improving, though, and is always a threat with his deadly jump shot.
Walsh is really not a point guard, but my have to handle the ball if Xavier really gets into a pinch in the coming weeks. He has not seen much time yet this season, as he battled a lower back injury in the preseason and appears to still be rounding back into shape. He does give Xavier good defensive ability, and can knock down a jump shot if given a spot-up opportunity.
With all of the uncertainty surrounding the Musketeers it will surely be right back to the grindstone for Sean Miller and the Xavier staff. With games against MAC favorite Miami and SEC contender Auburn looming in the next 10 days the chance to test the suddenly new-look Musketeers will present itself quickly.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Xavier 63 Memphis 58
With a great defensive effort, valuing the basketball and some timely free throw shooting the Xavier Musketeers won the Puerto Rico Season Tipoff. The Musketeers shot 25 of 37 from the free throw line, turned the ball over only 11 times and held the Tigers to 34 percent shooting (18 of 53).
Freshman point guard Terrell Holloway proved his merit again, knocking down all 10 of his free throws including two in the last minute of the game in leading his team with 13 points. Holloway also directed his team from the point guard spot as the Musketeers valued the ball against the ball-hawking Tigers to the tune of a season-low 11 turnovers.
The Musketeers did an excellent job of containing Memphis star freshman Tyreke Evans, who had 12 points, but had to put up 17 shots to get them. C.J. Anderson was the main man to shut down Evans, allowing him to shoot the perimeter jump shot, and only getting beaten off of the dribble a handful of times by the top freshman in the country. Anderson also added 10 points and six rebounds, as the senior leader was the most demonstrative Musketeer on the night after disappointing showings against Missouri and Virginia Tech in the first two games of the tournament.
While the Musketeers did not shoot the ball well themselves (37.5 percent, 18-48), they made up for it with perfect execution of the Musketeers' packline defense, the forced the Tigers to shoot perimeter shots. The Tigers struggled from deep, only hitting 7 of 21 of their three point field goals.
The Tigers' poor stroke extended to the free throw line, where they only made 15 of 30 charity shots. All of the shooting woes helped the Musketeers start 5-0 for the first time in fifth year head coach Sean Miller's tenure at Xavier.
The Musketeers were able to win the despite not getting much from preseason first team all-conference forward Derrick Brown. Brown only scored one point and had two rebounds against the athletic Tiger frontline.
The impact of Brown's off night was softened by sophomore Jamel McLean's 11 points and four rebounds.
The win was a big step forward for the Musketeers, who entered the season with questions surrounding many aspects of the team. Xavier now has a quality win over a top-20 team on a neutral court on its resume, and boatloads of confidence in the minds of their youngsters.
Freshman point guard Terrell Holloway proved his merit again, knocking down all 10 of his free throws including two in the last minute of the game in leading his team with 13 points. Holloway also directed his team from the point guard spot as the Musketeers valued the ball against the ball-hawking Tigers to the tune of a season-low 11 turnovers.
The Musketeers did an excellent job of containing Memphis star freshman Tyreke Evans, who had 12 points, but had to put up 17 shots to get them. C.J. Anderson was the main man to shut down Evans, allowing him to shoot the perimeter jump shot, and only getting beaten off of the dribble a handful of times by the top freshman in the country. Anderson also added 10 points and six rebounds, as the senior leader was the most demonstrative Musketeer on the night after disappointing showings against Missouri and Virginia Tech in the first two games of the tournament.
While the Musketeers did not shoot the ball well themselves (37.5 percent, 18-48), they made up for it with perfect execution of the Musketeers' packline defense, the forced the Tigers to shoot perimeter shots. The Tigers struggled from deep, only hitting 7 of 21 of their three point field goals.
The Tigers' poor stroke extended to the free throw line, where they only made 15 of 30 charity shots. All of the shooting woes helped the Musketeers start 5-0 for the first time in fifth year head coach Sean Miller's tenure at Xavier.
The Musketeers were able to win the despite not getting much from preseason first team all-conference forward Derrick Brown. Brown only scored one point and had two rebounds against the athletic Tiger frontline.
The impact of Brown's off night was softened by sophomore Jamel McLean's 11 points and four rebounds.
The win was a big step forward for the Musketeers, who entered the season with questions surrounding many aspects of the team. Xavier now has a quality win over a top-20 team on a neutral court on its resume, and boatloads of confidence in the minds of their youngsters.
Xavier vs. Memphis preview
A matchup between Xavier and Memphis provides and interesting convergence of styles, particularly when the Tigers have the ball. The Tigers run the dribble-drive-motion offense, predicated on beating a defender off of the dribble, and then either taking the shot or passing to a teammate whose man has had to come over to help out. This is interesting against Xavier since the Musketeers' pack-line defense is based upon putting defenders in help position (or "gaps" as they call it), and then recovering onto their man once he gets the ball.
If Xavier is able to stop the Memphis penetration effectively with commited help defense (not "Casper the Ghost" help defense as Sean Miller called their effort against Tyrone Kent and Toledo on Nov. 17), then the Tigers halfcourt offense will be forced to rely on three-point shooting, offensive rebounding and transition baskets. Forcing Memphis to become a three-point shooting team would look to be advantageous for Xavier, as the Tigers are only shooting 23.8 percent (20-84) from deep this season. Of course with missed three point field goals comes long rebounds, and the Tigers have been adept and hauling in those rebounds in their first four games of the young season, hauling in 41.3 rebounds per game, 14.8 of which coming on the offensive end.
With the inconsistency by the Tigers in the halfcourt set, a large portion of their points come in transition. Memphis' long athletic defensive athletes have forced 21.5 turnovers per game, a scary proposition for a Xavier team averaging 18.5 turnovers per game with a young backcourt. There will undoubtedly be a few breakaway dunks by the Tigers mixed into the game, but limiting these transition baskets, and their mental effect on his young team, will be a key for Sean Miller and his staff.
Like almost any game for Xavier, the end result will come down to how they defend, and how they get to the free throw line. As a result of the defensive scheme, and style of play that Miller likes to run, the number of free throws that Xavier shoots, and the field goal percentage of their opponent are consistently the two most important factors in any Musketeer game. When Xavier plays tough opponents these two areas become all the more important. For instance, Xavier did these things well in big wins over Indiana (held them to 38.5 percent shooting and went to the line 30 times compared to the Hoosier's 16), Massachusetts (held the Minutemen to 37 percent shooting while getting to the line 34 times to Umass' 28), Georgia (allowed the bulldogs to hang around with 46.4 percent shooting, but dominated the game with 33 free throws to the Bulldogs five) and Purdue (28.8 percent shooting and a 33 to 23 free throw advantage) in 2007-08. Conversely, the Musketeers struggle when they allow teams to shoot well and don't to the free throw line themselves. Bad losses to Miami (44.4 percent shooting and a RedHawk free throw advantage of 15 to 14), Arizona State (59.5 percent shooting and a Sun Devil free throw advantage of 22 to 15) and Temple (50.9 percent shooting and a 14 to 13 advantage in free throw shooting for the Owls) in 2007-08 featured breakdowns in these areas.
While the 2008-09 Musketeers have a very different team composition, the principles of the system in which they play remain the same. The Musketeers win over Virginia Tech on Friday featured a 26-14 free throw advantage for Xavier, and 38.3 percent shooting from the Hokies. Thursday's win over Missouri featured a 41-31 free throw advantage for Xavier and 41.7 percent shooting by the Tigers.
The free throw shooting on this Xavier team is especially important in the game against Memphis, as the Tigers are not especially deep up front, so trips to the free throw line aid Xavier in thinning out the Memphis lineup, slowing the tempo of the game and, obviously, putting easy points on the board. The field goal percentage is simply a stat that all pack-line defense teams focus on, and will always be a constant key in any game involving Sean Miller on the sidelines.
So as you are watching Xavier tonight (7:30 p.m. on ESPN2) check out the free throw shooting and field goal percentages of the teams. If Xavier is outshooting the Tigers by 10 free throws and holding Memphis under 40 percent shooting for the game at the end of the night, then the youthful Musketeers will likely be flying back across the Atlantic with some extra hardware in tow. If Memphis consistently gets easy baskets in transition, and stays out of foul trouble, however, then Xavier could be in for a long night.
If Xavier is able to stop the Memphis penetration effectively with commited help defense (not "Casper the Ghost" help defense as Sean Miller called their effort against Tyrone Kent and Toledo on Nov. 17), then the Tigers halfcourt offense will be forced to rely on three-point shooting, offensive rebounding and transition baskets. Forcing Memphis to become a three-point shooting team would look to be advantageous for Xavier, as the Tigers are only shooting 23.8 percent (20-84) from deep this season. Of course with missed three point field goals comes long rebounds, and the Tigers have been adept and hauling in those rebounds in their first four games of the young season, hauling in 41.3 rebounds per game, 14.8 of which coming on the offensive end.
With the inconsistency by the Tigers in the halfcourt set, a large portion of their points come in transition. Memphis' long athletic defensive athletes have forced 21.5 turnovers per game, a scary proposition for a Xavier team averaging 18.5 turnovers per game with a young backcourt. There will undoubtedly be a few breakaway dunks by the Tigers mixed into the game, but limiting these transition baskets, and their mental effect on his young team, will be a key for Sean Miller and his staff.
Like almost any game for Xavier, the end result will come down to how they defend, and how they get to the free throw line. As a result of the defensive scheme, and style of play that Miller likes to run, the number of free throws that Xavier shoots, and the field goal percentage of their opponent are consistently the two most important factors in any Musketeer game. When Xavier plays tough opponents these two areas become all the more important. For instance, Xavier did these things well in big wins over Indiana (held them to 38.5 percent shooting and went to the line 30 times compared to the Hoosier's 16), Massachusetts (held the Minutemen to 37 percent shooting while getting to the line 34 times to Umass' 28), Georgia (allowed the bulldogs to hang around with 46.4 percent shooting, but dominated the game with 33 free throws to the Bulldogs five) and Purdue (28.8 percent shooting and a 33 to 23 free throw advantage) in 2007-08. Conversely, the Musketeers struggle when they allow teams to shoot well and don't to the free throw line themselves. Bad losses to Miami (44.4 percent shooting and a RedHawk free throw advantage of 15 to 14), Arizona State (59.5 percent shooting and a Sun Devil free throw advantage of 22 to 15) and Temple (50.9 percent shooting and a 14 to 13 advantage in free throw shooting for the Owls) in 2007-08 featured breakdowns in these areas.
While the 2008-09 Musketeers have a very different team composition, the principles of the system in which they play remain the same. The Musketeers win over Virginia Tech on Friday featured a 26-14 free throw advantage for Xavier, and 38.3 percent shooting from the Hokies. Thursday's win over Missouri featured a 41-31 free throw advantage for Xavier and 41.7 percent shooting by the Tigers.
The free throw shooting on this Xavier team is especially important in the game against Memphis, as the Tigers are not especially deep up front, so trips to the free throw line aid Xavier in thinning out the Memphis lineup, slowing the tempo of the game and, obviously, putting easy points on the board. The field goal percentage is simply a stat that all pack-line defense teams focus on, and will always be a constant key in any game involving Sean Miller on the sidelines.
So as you are watching Xavier tonight (7:30 p.m. on ESPN2) check out the free throw shooting and field goal percentages of the teams. If Xavier is outshooting the Tigers by 10 free throws and holding Memphis under 40 percent shooting for the game at the end of the night, then the youthful Musketeers will likely be flying back across the Atlantic with some extra hardware in tow. If Memphis consistently gets easy baskets in transition, and stays out of foul trouble, however, then Xavier could be in for a long night.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Clutch threes
I don't know about everybody else, but I could get used seeing Xavier make huge threes when they need them the most. With Xavier down by two and only 1.9 seconds left, Dante Jackson banked in a half court shot to lift the Musketeers over Virgina Tech. Obviously this game in the Puerto Rico tournament is not as meaningful as the NCAA tournament, but the shot did bring back memories of B.J. Raymond's three pointer against West Virgina.
Jackson's shot was very clutch. Prior to the half court attempt, Jackson was 0-5 from behind the arc. Good teams make shots when they need them most. Some might say that the shot was entirely luck, and there was a fair amount of luck invovlved. But again good teams create their own luck. Great job by Xavier to get the ball into the open man quickly, and find the opportunity to take an open, decent shot.
Great game. Highly intertaining. This team just keeps giving us great reasons to watch them. These early close games are going to be great practice and learning experiences come the stretch of the season.
Jackson's shot was very clutch. Prior to the half court attempt, Jackson was 0-5 from behind the arc. Good teams make shots when they need them most. Some might say that the shot was entirely luck, and there was a fair amount of luck invovlved. But again good teams create their own luck. Great job by Xavier to get the ball into the open man quickly, and find the opportunity to take an open, decent shot.
Great game. Highly intertaining. This team just keeps giving us great reasons to watch them. These early close games are going to be great practice and learning experiences come the stretch of the season.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Va. Tech Preview
With the 75-71 win over Missouri on Thursday the Xavier Musketeers advance to play Virginia Tech in the Semifinals of the O'Rielly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Season Tipoff. The Hokies return a solid core of players from a squad that barely missed an NCAA berth in March. Here is a look at the Hokies by Doug Bowman of HokieHaven.com:
VT loves to get into the open court, but will also pull back and go into a half court offense. In that half court, they like to work the ball around and get 2 of Vassallo/Delaney and Allen on one side where they can isolate either Allen in the post while giving Vassallo/Delaney the oppurtunity to drive.
A.D. Vassallo is the best player, although Delaney and Allen are definitely not far behind. Seth Greenberg calls them "a poor mans big three" in referring to the Celtics big three. Vassallo is a deadly shooter, but is also very effective driving. Delaney is a smooth shooter, also the best free throw shooter on the team, and one of the leaders. Jeff Allen has dropped a lot of weight and is the go to guy in the post, but can also step out and knock down a 3 ball. He does have a tendency to fail to recognize a double team coming from his backside and will turn right into it.
The Hokies have done a fantastic job of finishing games this year. Last year, these two close games against Gardner Webb and Mt. Saint Mary's would have resulted in heartbreaking losses. This year, they handle the pressure of the final minutes much better.
VT has struggled to keep the intensity up for a full 40 minutes. They had a huge lead against Gardner Webb before having it wittled to 3 and had to struggled with Mt. Saint Mary's before coming back in the closing minutes.
VT loves to get into the open court, but will also pull back and go into a half court offense. In that half court, they like to work the ball around and get 2 of Vassallo/Delaney and Allen on one side where they can isolate either Allen in the post while giving Vassallo/Delaney the oppurtunity to drive.
A.D. Vassallo is the best player, although Delaney and Allen are definitely not far behind. Seth Greenberg calls them "a poor mans big three" in referring to the Celtics big three. Vassallo is a deadly shooter, but is also very effective driving. Delaney is a smooth shooter, also the best free throw shooter on the team, and one of the leaders. Jeff Allen has dropped a lot of weight and is the go to guy in the post, but can also step out and knock down a 3 ball. He does have a tendency to fail to recognize a double team coming from his backside and will turn right into it.
The Hokies have done a fantastic job of finishing games this year. Last year, these two close games against Gardner Webb and Mt. Saint Mary's would have resulted in heartbreaking losses. This year, they handle the pressure of the final minutes much better.
VT has struggled to keep the intensity up for a full 40 minutes. They had a huge lead against Gardner Webb before having it wittled to 3 and had to struggled with Mt. Saint Mary's before coming back in the closing minutes.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Crawford situation still up in the air
With his point guard position in a state of turmoil following an exhibition game against Findlay on Friday that featured 28 turnovers, 10 of which coming from the backcourt, Xavier head coach Sean Miller was hoping for some good news this week in regard to sophomore transfer guard Jordan Crawford.
What Miller has received, however, has not exactly been to his liking: I whole lot of silence.
Miller, along with the Xavier program, is still awaiting word from the NCAA with regards to Crawford’s eligibility.
“We are hopeful that sometime in the next couple of weeks that we can find out either way because I am more concerned about Jordan Crawford than I am about Xavier. If you were him, you would probably want to know if you could play this season,” Miller said on Thursday.
Crawford, a 6’4” guard out of Detroit who spent the past season at Indiana University, decided to transfer to Xavier in August amid the threat of NCAA sanctions being levied against the Hoosier basketball program as a result of recruiting violations by former coach Kelvin Sampson.
Indiana self-imposed a sanction against themselves in October of 2007, forfeiting one scholarship following allegations from the NCAA that Indiana assistant coaches conducted impermissible phone calls to recruits (including current Xavier freshman Kenny Frease) and handed out improper benefits to recruits.
The situation worsened in February of 2008 when the NCAA revealed that Sampson himself had been involved in the violations, and had attempted to deceive the NCAA when questioned about the incident.
Indiana did not take any further action, however, arguing that the monetary loss of having to buy out Sampson’s contract in February, coupled with the hit to the men’s basketball program’s academic progress rate – a score determined by the NCAA to gauge each program’s academic proficiency, and determine if that program should receive any merit or penalty – that the exodus of players from the IU basketball program has caused (the school is withholding two scholarships in 2008-09 in anticipation of APR violations) will be enough penalty for the program.
The Indiana program only retains two players from a season ago and saw six players – Crawford (Xavier), Brandon McGee (Auburn), Armon Bassett (UAB), Eli Holman (Detroit), DeAndre Thomas (Robert Morris) and Jamarcus Ellis (Oklahoma City) – transfer as a result of the allegations.
Each of the four eligibility cases – Thomas and Ellis did not transfer to division one schools, so they receive immediate eligibility – have been filed separately, and Crawford is believed to have the strongest case of the four as a result of his late exit from the program in August, and the bleak outlook of the program at the time of his transfer, that arguably necessitated the transfer.
“Jordan Crawford is that he is very unique in his situation. Anyone who left Indiana University is separate from the next one. We have taken Jordan and his family’s word along with a lot of different facts that allow us to appeal,” Miller said before the season. “We are confident in our appeal.”
The final verdict on Crawford eligibility, however, will likely be closely tied to the severity of the sanctions that the NCAA imposes on the Indiana basketball program.
If IU is barred from NCAA play for three years then Crawford would receive immediate eligibility under the rules stating that a student-athlete will not have to sit out a season if his former school is suspended from postseason play for the duration of his academic career, three years in Crawford’s case.
The ambiguity in the case comes in if the NCAA levies a softer sanction, such as the expected one year ban on postseason play. In such an instance, it becomes a judgment call by NCAA President Myles Brand and his staff based on Crawford’s individual situation.
In Crawford Xavier would gain a player with the ability to play either guard position, help out on the glass, score off of the dribble adeptly and, perhaps most importantly, run an offense. Crawford averaged 9.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a freshman at Indiana, starting alongside NBA talents Eric Gordon and D.J. White.
Miller has been seeing some of those skills in practice, yet has tried to reign in his talented sophomore as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the situation.
“It’s tricky because on one hand Jordan and our team deserves to think about him being a part of things. On the other hand, Jordan and our team deserves to prepare as if he is not a part of things,” Miller said. “He competes everyday in the parts of practice that have nothing to do with the plays that you are running or [game planning]. He competes like any transfer student would, knowing that he can’t play.”
As it currently stands Crawford is not eligible for the 2008-09 season, and will be forced to watch the first few games of the season from the sidelines, including being left behind on Xavier’s trip to Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Season Tip-off.
What Miller has received, however, has not exactly been to his liking: I whole lot of silence.
Miller, along with the Xavier program, is still awaiting word from the NCAA with regards to Crawford’s eligibility.
“We are hopeful that sometime in the next couple of weeks that we can find out either way because I am more concerned about Jordan Crawford than I am about Xavier. If you were him, you would probably want to know if you could play this season,” Miller said on Thursday.
Crawford, a 6’4” guard out of Detroit who spent the past season at Indiana University, decided to transfer to Xavier in August amid the threat of NCAA sanctions being levied against the Hoosier basketball program as a result of recruiting violations by former coach Kelvin Sampson.
Indiana self-imposed a sanction against themselves in October of 2007, forfeiting one scholarship following allegations from the NCAA that Indiana assistant coaches conducted impermissible phone calls to recruits (including current Xavier freshman Kenny Frease) and handed out improper benefits to recruits.
The situation worsened in February of 2008 when the NCAA revealed that Sampson himself had been involved in the violations, and had attempted to deceive the NCAA when questioned about the incident.
Indiana did not take any further action, however, arguing that the monetary loss of having to buy out Sampson’s contract in February, coupled with the hit to the men’s basketball program’s academic progress rate – a score determined by the NCAA to gauge each program’s academic proficiency, and determine if that program should receive any merit or penalty – that the exodus of players from the IU basketball program has caused (the school is withholding two scholarships in 2008-09 in anticipation of APR violations) will be enough penalty for the program.
The Indiana program only retains two players from a season ago and saw six players – Crawford (Xavier), Brandon McGee (Auburn), Armon Bassett (UAB), Eli Holman (Detroit), DeAndre Thomas (Robert Morris) and Jamarcus Ellis (Oklahoma City) – transfer as a result of the allegations.
Each of the four eligibility cases – Thomas and Ellis did not transfer to division one schools, so they receive immediate eligibility – have been filed separately, and Crawford is believed to have the strongest case of the four as a result of his late exit from the program in August, and the bleak outlook of the program at the time of his transfer, that arguably necessitated the transfer.
“Jordan Crawford is that he is very unique in his situation. Anyone who left Indiana University is separate from the next one. We have taken Jordan and his family’s word along with a lot of different facts that allow us to appeal,” Miller said before the season. “We are confident in our appeal.”
The final verdict on Crawford eligibility, however, will likely be closely tied to the severity of the sanctions that the NCAA imposes on the Indiana basketball program.
If IU is barred from NCAA play for three years then Crawford would receive immediate eligibility under the rules stating that a student-athlete will not have to sit out a season if his former school is suspended from postseason play for the duration of his academic career, three years in Crawford’s case.
The ambiguity in the case comes in if the NCAA levies a softer sanction, such as the expected one year ban on postseason play. In such an instance, it becomes a judgment call by NCAA President Myles Brand and his staff based on Crawford’s individual situation.
In Crawford Xavier would gain a player with the ability to play either guard position, help out on the glass, score off of the dribble adeptly and, perhaps most importantly, run an offense. Crawford averaged 9.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a freshman at Indiana, starting alongside NBA talents Eric Gordon and D.J. White.
Miller has been seeing some of those skills in practice, yet has tried to reign in his talented sophomore as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the situation.
“It’s tricky because on one hand Jordan and our team deserves to think about him being a part of things. On the other hand, Jordan and our team deserves to prepare as if he is not a part of things,” Miller said. “He competes everyday in the parts of practice that have nothing to do with the plays that you are running or [game planning]. He competes like any transfer student would, knowing that he can’t play.”
As it currently stands Crawford is not eligible for the 2008-09 season, and will be forced to watch the first few games of the season from the sidelines, including being left behind on Xavier’s trip to Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Season Tip-off.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Findlay not to be overlooked
The Xavier University men's basketball team begins their 2008-09 campaign on Friday, Nov. 7 at Cintas Center with an exhibition against the Findlay Oilers, a Division II squad from central Ohio.
While the Oilers don't pose the imposing profile of a division one squad, they are the class of Division II, being voted the top team in the country by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
The Oilers, who knocked off Ohio State in an exhibition a year ago, return Division II Preseason All-American Josh Baltic on the wing. Baltic, a 6'5", 230 lb. senior out of Columbus averaged 13.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in being named a first-team All-American in 2007-08.
"They are an extremely well coached team that went to Columbus last year and beat Ohio State," Miller said. "They will have better players at times than some of our early season opponents, including an individual player (Baltic) that can play on any team in the country."
Baltic is not the only Oiler on the preseason All-Conference first team either, as 6'4" senior wing Morgan Lewis returns after averaging 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 points per game in 07-08.
Baltic and Lewis are joined by 5'9 lightning bolt Marcus Parker, a junior point guard that figures to apply some defensive pressure to Xavier's backcourt.
"To me, they have two wings and a point guard that can play at a lot of division one programs. That is why they are so successful,"
The point guard spot has been the main area of question entering the season at Xavier, and Miller seems to have decided on sophomore Dante Jackson starting and playing about 15 minutes at the point guard spot, with a rotation of freshmen Terrell Holloway and Brad Redford taking up the remaining 25 minutes.
Obviously, Miller has been impressed by Jackson to merit him the minutes at the beginning, and likely the end, of each game.
"He has earned that [role] in his performance in practice, and that is a tribute to Dante," Miller said. "Early on [in the season] Dante Jackson is the most reliable [point guard] because he is so much further ahead defensively."
With Jackson at the point guard spot, Miller sees B.J. Raymond getting significant minutes at the shooting guard spot, opening more time for the likes of Jamel McLean and Kenny Frease off of the bench - two players that Miller included in his group of the most impressive newcomers, along with Terrell Holloway.
The 2008-09 Xavier team still has a lot of issues to be settled, and Friday's matchup with Findlay will likely go a long way in revealing answers to those questions because of some of the aspects that the Oilers bring to the table.
"Being that they are well coached, it is going to be a real good challenge for our defense because they have a system on offense, and if we are not hitting on all cylinders, then they are going to be difficult to defend," Miller said. "Conversely on our offense, it is an opportunity to improve against a solid team."
While the Oilers don't pose the imposing profile of a division one squad, they are the class of Division II, being voted the top team in the country by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
The Oilers, who knocked off Ohio State in an exhibition a year ago, return Division II Preseason All-American Josh Baltic on the wing. Baltic, a 6'5", 230 lb. senior out of Columbus averaged 13.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in being named a first-team All-American in 2007-08.
"They are an extremely well coached team that went to Columbus last year and beat Ohio State," Miller said. "They will have better players at times than some of our early season opponents, including an individual player (Baltic) that can play on any team in the country."
Baltic is not the only Oiler on the preseason All-Conference first team either, as 6'4" senior wing Morgan Lewis returns after averaging 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 points per game in 07-08.
Baltic and Lewis are joined by 5'9 lightning bolt Marcus Parker, a junior point guard that figures to apply some defensive pressure to Xavier's backcourt.
"To me, they have two wings and a point guard that can play at a lot of division one programs. That is why they are so successful,"
The point guard spot has been the main area of question entering the season at Xavier, and Miller seems to have decided on sophomore Dante Jackson starting and playing about 15 minutes at the point guard spot, with a rotation of freshmen Terrell Holloway and Brad Redford taking up the remaining 25 minutes.
Obviously, Miller has been impressed by Jackson to merit him the minutes at the beginning, and likely the end, of each game.
"He has earned that [role] in his performance in practice, and that is a tribute to Dante," Miller said. "Early on [in the season] Dante Jackson is the most reliable [point guard] because he is so much further ahead defensively."
With Jackson at the point guard spot, Miller sees B.J. Raymond getting significant minutes at the shooting guard spot, opening more time for the likes of Jamel McLean and Kenny Frease off of the bench - two players that Miller included in his group of the most impressive newcomers, along with Terrell Holloway.
The 2008-09 Xavier team still has a lot of issues to be settled, and Friday's matchup with Findlay will likely go a long way in revealing answers to those questions because of some of the aspects that the Oilers bring to the table.
"Being that they are well coached, it is going to be a real good challenge for our defense because they have a system on offense, and if we are not hitting on all cylinders, then they are going to be difficult to defend," Miller said. "Conversely on our offense, it is an opportunity to improve against a solid team."
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